The preposition De (“of” or “from” in most Romance languages) can verbally signify lasting ties to places and experiences of origin, even when they are eroded by distance and time. With his new sculptural solo presentation, Frank De Sa seems to reflect on his family roots in the Portuguese Azores, his upbringing in Kingston and the manifold ways the diasporic experience of his working-class family impacts his practice. For De Sa, these include an acknowledgment of the profound influence of the approach to making that he encountered in his father’s house painting business, a curiosity about structure that persists in his own work as an artist, machinist and metal fabricator. It also includes early memories of his mother’s handmade textiles and artificial flower ornaments. Evoking textile and metalworking processes, De Sa applies tensions that allow his sculptural mountain to be a complex site of growth, success, erosion, life and sustenance.

Frank De Sa is a sculptor who lives and works in Kingston, Ontario. He uses a variety of materials and processes to make work. His work seeks to find ground where artifice meets nature and nature meets culture. He is also interested in the tools we create and how we use them to define and situate ourselves in the world. He is an NSCAD graduate (97′), a St Lawrence Fine Art graduate (93′), and has studied at Queen’s University.

Hero image: Frank De Sa, De, 2023, laser-cut aluminum, crocheted textile and artificial flowers. Photo: Garrett Elliott

De was created with in-kind support from Pure Ingenuity, Inc.

We are proud to announce that J.J.M. Investment Group CIBC Wood Gundy is the sponsor for Agnes’s exhibitions and related programs this season.